A LANCASHIRE police officer who was involved in a high-speed car crash while responding to an emergency has admitted dangerous driving.

But PC Ryan van Delft, 40, formerly a community beat manager in Burnley and Barnoldswick, and latterly a dog handler in the county's Eastern police division, has been told he will not go to jail or be banned from driving.

Van Delft, from North Yorkshire, admitted dangerous driving on August 25 last year and was remanded on bail for pre-sentence reports until November 5 after a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday.

He was in a police dog handler's van and was tailing a suspect Audi car, which he then lost track of in Brierfield.

But shortly afterwards he received a tip-off, via the police communications system, that it was in the Colne Road area of Burnley, the court heard.

His police Ford Mondeo crashed into a Ford Focus car, driven by 46-year-old Arif Abbas, close to Dixy's Fried Chicken, in Burnley Road, Brierfield, in the early hours of August 25 last year, while en route.

Mr Abbas, who was driving back from morning prayers with a cousin, suffered whiplash injuries but no lasting damage.

Judge John Roberts, after considering papers in the case, said he was minded to pass a suspended sentence on the police officer, who has around 15 years' service.

The judge considered that the police van was travelling at excessive speed in a built-up area but van Delft was responding to an emergency situation.

Alexandra Simmons, defending, also successfully argued that van Delft should not receive a driving ban, which is usually imposed in dangerous driving cases.

Miss Simmons said van Delft had a good disciplinary record and was well-regarded by his superiors.

He has been on alternative duties, as a dog handler in the division covering Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, since his arrest, and was banned from driving police response vehicles.

After the case Superintendent Martyn Leveridge, head of the force's Professional Standards Department said his conduct fell short of expected standards and added: “Further internal considerations need to be made before decision is reached around his future in the Constabulary.”